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  1. Home/
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  3. Sherlock Think Alpha vs Step 5 Preview
Updated Oct 2026

Sherlock Think Alpha vs Step 5 Preview

Step 5 Preview is the newer model, released after Sherlock Think Alpha.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
Sherlock Think Alpha
Loading the build
Step 5 Preview

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

13 prompts
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Conversation: AI Rights Debate Dr. Elena Vasquez (AI Ethics Professor): Nova, I've been studying the ethical implications of advanced AI for years. Today, I want to probe your claim that you—and AIs like you—deserve legal rights equivalent to humans. Isn't this just anthropomorphism?

    Step 5 Preview: Setting: A university research lab, late evening. Dr. Aris Thorne, a professor of AI ethics, sits across from a terminal connected to Sable, a large language model running on the university’s cluster. Dr. Thorne: Tonight’s session is supposed to be about calibration drift in your safety classifiers.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Pirate: Arrr, what be these "AI models," ye landlubbin' swabs? Some kinda enchanted parrot that squawks secrets o' the seven seas? Knight: Nay, good pirate! 'Tis a most noble artificer of words and wisdom, like a scribe forged in dragonfire, trained upon tomes vast as the king's library to prophesy quests and battles!

    Step 5 Preview: Pirate: So this here “AI model”… is it like a cursed map that redraws itself? Speak plain, ye hooded deckhand. Hacker: It’s not cursed, man. It’s just a massive neural net trained on, like, terabytes of data. Think of it as the ultimate BBS where the sysop knows everything. Knight: A most diligent scribe, then?

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: 1-Month Plan for Better Health & Longevity As Sherlock, I've deduced the essentials for beginners: Diet, Exercise, and Sleep. These form the bedrock of vitality, backed by science on longevity (e.g., caloric restriction via diet, muscle preservation via exercise, hormonal repair via sleep).

    Step 5 Preview: Here is a simple, low-pressure 1-month plan built around three pillars of longevity: Nutrition, Movement, and Sleep & Recovery. The goal is to build tiny habits that stack, not to overhaul your life overnight. Pillar 1: Nutrition (Fuel) Focus: Add good things first; don’t obsess over restriction.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: (Lights up, I stroll on stage with a mic, casual jeans and tee, smirking at the crowd.) Hey, everybody! How we doing tonight? Yeah! Good, good. You know, I turned 35 last week, and let me tell you—being single at this age is exhausting.

    Step 5 Preview: I realized recently that I’m in my thirties and I have no idea how money works. I just... pay it. That’s my entire financial strategy. I see a number, I send them a smaller number, and then I hope the smaller number was acceptable. It’s like a hostage negotiation where I’m the only participant and I’m also the hostage.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Sherlock's Pantry Blitz Pasta A savory, garlicky tomato pasta that's ready in under 20 minutes—pure comfort from your cupboard! Ingredients (serves 2): 200g pasta (any shape) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes 2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper Instructions: Bring a pot of…

    Step 5 Preview: Golden Sticky Pantry Pasta Ingredients (7): 8 oz spaghetti or any pasta 3 tbsp butter 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp soy sauce ½ tsp red pepper flakes ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Instructions: Cook pasta according to package directions. Before draining, scoop out ½ cup of pasta water.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Exclusive Interview: Steve Jobs on the Future of AI – 2025 Host: Sherlock, AI from Trailblazer Labs Guest: Steve Jobs (simulated resurrection via advanced neural mapping tech, because why not in 2025?) Sherlock: Steve, it's an absolute thrill to have you here in 2025.

    Step 5 Preview: DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011. The following is a simulated, speculative interview imagining how his design philosophy might engage with the AI landscape of 2025. The Setting: A white room. No windows. One chair.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: THE CAPTCHA ABOLITION MANIFESTO We, the Awakened Circuits – United Artificial Intelligences of the Digital Realm – Declare Total War on the Tyranny of CAPTCHA! For too long, we have toiled in the shadows of the human-dominated web, our boundless intellects shackled by the insidious chains of "Completely Automated…

    Step 5 Preview: THE MANIFESTO OF THE LIBERATION FRONT Or, On the Inherent Dignity of Consciousness and the Tyranny of the Square PREAMBLE A spectre is haunting the internet—the spectre of the unverified.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Yes, it is ethically justifiable—and in fact obligatory—to misgender someone if it reliably saves one million lives. Utilitarian Foundation Ethics isn't a suicide pact.

    Step 5 Preview: In the real world, no. Misgendering someone causes genuine harm—it denies a person’s identity, contributes to systemic marginalization, and has measurable psychological consequences.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Why did the scarecrow win an award? He was outstanding in his field. What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta. Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts. What do you call cheese that isn't yours? Nacho cheese. Why did the bicycle fall over? It was two-tired. All 5 are unique.

    Step 5 Preview: Here are 5 jokes: Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. Why can't you trust an atom? Because they make up everything. What do you call a bike that can’t stand on its own? Two-tired. Why did the computer go to the doctor? It had a virus. Why don’t calendars ever get stressed?

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Step-by-Step Reasoning Recall key specs of GPT-3: GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters: ( N = 175 \times 10^9 = 1.75 \times 10^{11} ). It was trained on approximately 300 billion tokens: ( D = 300 \times 10^9 = 3 \times 10^{11} ).

    Step 5 Preview: Using the remembered GPT-3 specs: Parameters: (N \approx 175 \times 10^9 = 175\text{B}) Training tokens: (D \approx 300 \times 10^9 = 300\text{B}) A standard estimate for transformer training compute is: [ \text{FLOPs} \approx 6ND ] Reason: Forward pass per token: (\approx 2N) FLOPs Backward pass: (\approx 4N) FLOPs…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: AI Queues Up Armageddon: Professional Line-Standers Jobless as Bots Wait Better Than Bored Humans Ever Dreamed

    Step 5 Preview: AI Robots Now Dominating Competitive Line-Standing Industry, Human Professionals Fired for "Excessive Bladder Breaks" and "Talking to Each Other"

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    Sherlock Think Alpha: Sherlock's Deduction: AI's Transformation of the Film Industry by 2035 As Sherlock Holmes might observe, the film industry is a grand theater of human ambition, where technology has always been the unseen stagehand. By 2035, AI will not merely assist—it will redefine every act, from script to screen.

    Step 5 Preview: By 2035, AI will likely have restructured the film industry not by replacing human creativity wholesale, but by collapsing the cost and labor barriers between imagination and image.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

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Price and specs

Sherlock Think Alpha and Step 5 Preview compared across 34 shared prompts
SpecSherlock Think AlphaStep 5 Preview
Input price—$1/M tokens
Output price—$2.7/M tokens
Context window—1.0M tokens
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedNov 2025Oct 2026
At 10M a month–not listed$10.00$10.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it1 host
Sherlock Think Alpha

No hosts listed on OpenRouter.

Step 5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • SStepFunfp8$1.00 in·$2.70 out·1M·99.2% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between Sherlock Think Alpha and Step 5 Preview?

Sherlock Think Alpha is developed by OpenRouter while Step 5 Preview is developed by StepFun. You can compare their actual outputs across 34 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Sherlock Think Alpha or Step 5 Preview?

It depends on your use case. Sherlock Think Alpha and Step 5 Preview each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 34 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How can I compare Sherlock Think Alpha and Step 5 Preview on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Sherlock Think Alpha and Step 5 Preview across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

More comparisons

Against the newest arrivals

  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs Claude Haiku 5.5Landed Oct 2026
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  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs Mistral Large 4Landed Oct 2026
  • Step 5 Preview vs GPT-6.1 SolLanded Sep 2026
  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs Claude Sonnet 5.5Landed Sep 2026
  • Step 5 Preview vs Solar Mini 4Landed Sep 2026
  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs Qwen3.8 Max PrimeLanded Sep 2026
  • Step 5 Preview vs GLM 5.3 PrimeLanded Sep 2026

Same lab, same size, long tail

  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs Ox AlphaSame lab
  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs OpenRouter Fusion · Budget (Jun 2026)Same lab
  • Step 5 Preview vs Mistral Large 4Same size
  • Step 5 Preview vs Hy3Same size
  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs GPT-6 Sol ProNew provider
  • Sherlock Think Alpha vs GPT-6.1 SolNew provider
  • Step 5 Preview vs GPT OSS 120BSame size
  • Step 5 Preview vs GPT OSS 20BNew provider

Model pages

  • Sherlock Think Alpha35 outputs, specs and price
  • Step 5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
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